Buffing wheel



Aug. Z4, 1937. Nl G, SEYBERT 2,090,814

BUFFING WHEEL Filed April 50, 1936 Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES BUFFING WHEEL Nathan G. Seybert, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner of one-half to Herman Seybert, Philadelphia,

l Application April 30, 1936, Serial No. 77,277

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a bufng wheel, and more particularly to a rotary buing wheel such as is adapted for cleaning metallic and similar surfaces.

A buffer now commonly used consists of a laminated Wheel, in which the laminae are discs of cotton. The primary object of my invention is to provide an improvement of this type of buffer to make it more durable, more economical, more efficacious, operable at a higher speed, and easier to work.

In the use of the ordinary cotton bufting wheel,

the component threads of the fabric disintegrate' very easily under use. 'I'he lint from the cotton oats in all directions, to be breathed by the workers, and it also forms an explosive mixture with the air. Such conditions are insanitary and dangerous, and the more modern factories have installed exhaust apparatus to oloviatel these menaces. The bufling wheel of my invention does not utilize cotton for its operative surface, so that such dangers are not present, and the necessity for exhaust apparatus is removed. The material of my wheel is such that when it is worn or broken, it falls to the ground, where it can be easily removed.

In the use of cotton Wheels, the usual procedure is to employ rst a hard wheel and then a soit wheel. This hard wheel is so stitched that the cotton fibers are less flexible and therefore present a more abrasive working surface; this wheel is used to rough finish the work. Thereafter, the object is held against the soft wheel, which nishes the abrasive operation and polishes the object. My wheel effects complete bufng and polishing, the difference inabrasive action being obtained by varying the degree of pressure of the-work against the wheel. This saves not only one wheel with its concomitant appurtenances, but also the expense of labor..

My wheel, as mentioned, can give any desired degree of abrasion, Within wide limits, and this variation may be obtained by only a mild pressure, in contra-distinction to the extreme pressure which must be applied against a cotton wheel. The Worker is less fatigued and can work faster and more eiciently; there is less motive power consumed; there is less vibration and wear on the machinery; and the efficiency and economy in general are increased many fold.

My wheel not only burnishes and polishes faster than does cotton, but operates more uniformly, because of its greater resistance to wear and greater inertia. Furthermore, my wheel has a much greater heat capacity than cotton has, so

that, whereas the latter material would become very hot and even char and smoke at high speed or under great pressure, my wheel shows none of these symptoms. When small pieces of metal are to be buffed, the heat from a cotton bung wheel is readily transmitted thereto, and very often the metalmust be withdrawn and permitted to cool because of the unworkable teniperature conducted from the cotton. My wheel becomes warm, but never so hot as to make a piece of work too hot to handle.

Various other objects and advantages will appear as the specication proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms I part of this specication,

- Fig. 1 shows in perspective one type of 'buffing wheel made in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a partialview of my wheel in the process of manufacture.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail of the manufacture of my wheel.

Essentially, my wheel I comprises a plurality of radial strands of abrasive material, with covering's of cotton, all sewn or otherwise stitched to make the article adaptable for buing. The abrasive material is sisal, which I have discovered to possess properties ideal for such purposes. These properties are: excellent abrasiveness, long life, high tensile strength, high resistance to heat, rapid cooling, and the other attributes which combinev to produce the advantages hereinbefore mentioned As shown ln the drawing, I employ suiiicient threads of sisal to present the proper number of "picks at the periphery of the wheel. These threads are woven into strands which are twisted or combined into ropes.

In the manufacture of my wheel, I fold a rope Il of sisal, and, at its bend, I pull one strand I2 beyond the others I3. I do this with a suicient number of ropes II to formthe wheel. Through the `looped strands I2, which are preferably twisted, I thread a strand or rope I4 of sisal or any other material of sufficient tensile strength to withstand the necessary pull.

The strand or rope Il is wound around a core I6 of wood or felt or rubber or. any other material which may be positioned around the shaft of a motor and which will present sufficient rigidity for my bufng wheel. I then stitch the sisal clrcularly or spirally as shown at I1, to x the relative position of the strands. During the stitching, I impart a curvature to the ropes II, so that the/strands or threads will have greater strength against bending. To nish the wheel,

I apply one or more disc layers 2| of cotton fabric on each face of the sisal and stitch all the members circularly or spirally. as shown at 2|, to present a unitary structure. I may then trim the periphery of the sisal and the cotton to form a. uniform rounded surface.

I may superpose two or more ropes ofsisal to form a thicker buftlng wheel, with or without the intermediate cotton discs 2i, as the nature of the work may require. I may employ sisal of three plies, five plies, or of any other suitable construction. Ifv desired, I may have one or more central anchors Il, and I may form them integrally with one of the strands of the ropes li, as shown for example at 22.

It will be obvious that, with my arrangement, the abrasive force of the wheel i is applied substantially perpendicularly to the picks of the sisal. The sisal will not ravel, because it possesses great tensile stength, and because it is bent and twisted and is anchored securely to lthe anchor Il.

The wheel will have a practically uniform appearance, because there will be fewer strands of sisal near the center than near the rim, thereby avoiding a hunched-up appearance.

Variations may be made in the dimensions, perforations, and other details of my wheel, only the preferred form being shown. It is understood. however, that such variations are contemplated as being within the intent and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Batent' is:

. 1. A rotary bufdng wheel, comprising a core, and a pluralityrof radial ropes, some but not all Vof the strands of the ropes being anchored on the 40 core, whereby there are more strandsat the rim than atvthe core. 2. A rotary bufiing wheel, comprising a central the anchor and radiating therefrom, and additional strands of abrasive material intertwined with the ilrst strands but not fastened to the core.

3. A rotary buffer, comprising a plurality of radial stranded ropes, the number of strands in cross section being greater toward the periphery than toward the center.

4. A rotary buffer, comprising a plurality of radial stranded ropes of abrasive material, some of the strands of each rope being of different lengths, whereby there are more strands at the rim than at the center.

5. The method of making a buffer, which comprises folding about its middle a rope of at least two strands, pulling out the midportion of one of the strands, radially positioning a plurality of such strands and ropes about a hub, and stitching together all the strands.

6. The method of making a buffer, which comprises symmetrically lntertwinlng one strand of abrasive fiber with a shorter strand, both strands being folded about their midportions, so that the midportion of the longer strand projects beyond the midportion of the shorter, positioning a plurality of such intertwined strands with their midportions toward a hub, anchoring the midportions of the longer strands, and stitching together all the strands to form the buifer.

7. A rotary buer, comprising a central anchor, and a plurality of abrasive ropes folded about their midportions, with the ends projecting toward the periphery of the buffer, fewer than all of the strands of each rope being pulled out toward the center of the buffer and anchored to the anchor.

8. A rotary buffer, comprising a plurality 0f radial stranded ropes of abrasive material, the ropes being anchored to the hub and positioned in a general radial direction, the strands thereof being bent laterally to reduce the bending stress during bulng, and means for maintaining the strands in such bent position.

NATHAN G. SE'YBERT. 

